


We Are In This Together

by JungleJayps



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/F, Olympics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-29
Updated: 2016-08-29
Packaged: 2018-08-11 21:09:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,119
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7907710
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JungleJayps/pseuds/JungleJayps
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is Fareeha's first time participating in the Olympic games, and she is well poised to claim a medal for Egypt.</p>
            </blockquote>





	We Are In This Together

**Author's Note:**

> Olympics AU! So much for keeping this short and sweet, I sorta just forget I want to keep myself to a low word count. By the way, this is based quite loosely on the runner who fell down and was helped up by another competitor. They hugged it out at the finish line so I figured why not eh? I’m also finishing this about a week after the Olympics ended, sue me.

Fareeha had never felt so anxious in her life. Or was it excitement? If she was honest with herself, it was a combination of both feelings. She did not take for granted the incredible opportunity she was granted: being able to represent your country with something you have trained your entire life for. Working day and night, never resting, always striving to improve. It was this work ethic that provided her with the means of securing a rarely-achieved medal for her home country, Egypt. While the Home of the Pyramids did not always provide the Olympic games with medal-winners, Fareeha knew that all the athletes put their best effort into securing any type of glory for Egypt. 

And now, Fareeha’s hard work had paid off. She was facing off in the finals for the Women’s 10 kilometer, having crushed the competition in the first and second round. This was the round where everything counted. She knew she would be facing competitors in a whole new league, though. As she made her onto the track, she looked to the large LCD screen on one end of the large stadium.

Women’s 10 kilometer  
Start time: 12:30 p.m.

Fareeha felt that pang of anxiety once again as she looked nearby to see the clock read 11:50 a.m. She had ample time to make her way to the center of the field, through many other Olympic events currently taking place, where she and many of the other participants in the run would be stretching, limbering up, and preparing themselves for the race against the clock. 

If there was one thing Fareeha was extremely relieved about, it was the fact that today seemed to be the one day where the humidity was not completely unbearable. In fact, the water-content in the air seemed to be quite low, making for a climate that Fareeha felt was quite similar to that of her native hometown. Although small, it gave Fareeha enough peace of mind to start to focus on the task at hand, bringing home honor and glory for her country.

As she made her way through the mess of different events, she marveled at the huge amount of variation between different track and field competitions there were. She could never understand how someone would get into something like long jumping (and how many variations of that single sport there were alone), or pole jumping. Now running, she could understand running. To her, running was such a natural activity, like a falcon’s affinity for flying. Running was straightforward and simple, yet it still required thorough knowledge of one’s body and its limitations: when to run, when to slow the pace to avoid long-term fatigue. She could definitely understand that. After years of running in marathons and half-marathons, she had a complete mastery of her body and its limits. 

She found herself passing by a particularly joyful group of what Fareeha thought to be either Slovenians or Slovakians, judging by the flag sewed onto their shoulders. The two flags were way too similar, both countries following the white, red, and blue color tricolor scheme, bearing a coat of arms to the left, but which coat of arms belonged to which country? Fareeha didn’t exactly care, but she was happy for them nonetheless, it looked to her as if they had just scored very well in the Triple Jump event, and she was hoped to be feeling that same elation in not-so-distant future. 

She finally reached what appeared to be the meeting spot for all the competitors in the event she was partaking. A signpost reading “Women’s 10000m” confirmed to Fareeha she was in the right spot, so far so good, she thought, first step to winning is, in fact, showing up.

She surveyed the bunch before her. Women from various countries around the world were performing various types of ballistic and static stretches, making sure they were ready and limber; an injury would just be a waste of years of training. Wanting to begin her warm up routine as well, she found a spot in the turf between a short short-haired women with a Union Jack stitched to her sleeve, and another whom caught Fareeha’s attention immediately. 

She was sitting on the ground, one leg outstretched completely, the other folded inwards so that it flanked the other leg at the thigh, just above the knee. She slowly uprighted herself after bending forwards and touching her toes. As she lifted her head, she moved the bangs out from in front of her face, and saw Fareeha awkwardly standing in front of her, not sure where to look. She decided to give a friendly smile up to the stranger, her deep blue eyes shining brightly. Fareeha’s stomach began churning with a feeling she was not very familiar with, interrupting her thought processes, before managing to stammer out something to fill the silence.

“D- do you mind if I use this space next to you?” She found herself blushing at the apparent fumbling over words. And 

The blonde sitting down gave Fareeha a welcoming grin, and patted the ground next to her, “Ja, no worries, go right ahead…?”. Fareeha, picking up on the open ended sentence, hastily replied.

“Fareeha, Fareeha Amari. And yourself?”

“Angela Ziegler, very nice to meet you, Fareeha”, Angela outstretched her hand to Fareeha, who took the pale hand and shook it, feeling a warmth start to grow on her cheeks. Fareeha sat herself on the ground, legs outstretched, forming a wide angle as she moved to stretch each hamstring.

“Hmm… Ziegler, eh… would you be German by chance then?” Fareeha asked, hoping to keep the conversation going with the striking woman beside her.

“Ahh, close”, Angela giggled, a smirk coming to her face, “I am Swiss, see?” Angela tapped the small badge attached to her track jacket, indicating a small white cross on a red background. Fareeha mentally slapped herself on the forehead for not picking up on it. To be fair though, she found it hard to look anywhere but the face of the Swiss. 

“Switzerland, eh? Tell me, is it really like all the pictures I see on the internet? Like with grassy hills and dense forests overshadowed by huge mountain ranges?”

Angela shifted her position to begin a different stretch, focusing on the quads. Upon hearing Fareeha’s question, she smiled fondly. 

“Ja, it really is a magical place. I have always been a sucker for the beautiful mountains that serve as a backdrop. I don’t think you can visit anywhere in Switzerland without seeing at least one mountain range. And the towns, they're usually quite small, but that just makes them feel even more cozy. It’s all so isolated from the urbanization and industrialization, making the surrounding nature all the more uncluttered and pure,” Angela sighed, but the same smile of fondness returned, “although to be fair, the mountains make it a nightmare for any decent cell service”.

Fareeha, seeing the opportunity to try and show her wit, joked “Well, the cell reception might be bad, but at least the flag’s a big plus”. 

Oh my god I cannot believe I just said that. Fareeha once again began mentally hitting herself over the forehead as she found herself burning a deep scarlet. Angela tried to fight down a smirk, but ultimately lost as she grinned at the embarrassed Egyptian. 

“Oh my, liebe, that was truly terrible,” Angela giggled, “you're lucky I have a soft spot for those types of jokes”.

Fareeha, now climbing back out of the mental hole she felt like dying in a few moments ago, slowly let a smile creep back onto her face, “then you should probably stick around then, it’s only going to get worse”. 

They exchanged banter, going back and forth, hitting each other with their worst jokes, making each other cringe-laugh at some of the more terrible ones. However, they were interrupted by a loud cheer from the crowd, whose focus was mostly on the group of sprinters making their way around the track. Fareeha’s focus was drawn elsewhere around the stadium, before finding the time posted on a large LCD screen.

12:05 p.m.

She once again shifted her focus back onto Angela, still sitting beside her, although the jokey atmosphere started to fade away, getting more tense as they both knew that soon they would face the most important race of their lives. 

“So, do your parents have a good view from where they are sitting?”, Angela asked, trying to diffuse the creeping mutual-anxiety. Unfortunately, it had quite the opposite effect on the Egyptian, who suddenly stiffened up at the mention of any parents. Angela immediately regretted asking. Nonetheless, Fareeha responded,

“Neith… neither of my parents are with me today. I haven’t seen my father in my life, and my mother… well she died when she was enlisted into the ranks of Overwatch a few years ago”. Angela was filled with sympathy, and looking to improve the spirits of her new friend, she put her hand over hers, softly replying 

“If your mother was here right now, I know she would be so proud that you have made it this far, achieving what so many people could not”. 

Fareeha smiled at the kind gesture offered by her soon-to-be competitor. 

“She was the reason why I took up running in competitions. As a child we would always run together in local 5k’s and races like that. She saw in me the determination of a soldier, but she did not want that life for me. As a fighter herself, she knew the great risks that were bound to the job. So she trained me to be a runner, and I guess she did a pretty good job”, she chuckled to herself.

“It looks like she did an amazing job” Angela’s heart gave a little jump, with a touch of pink showing on her cheek, “and, if it makes you feel any better. I can empathize with you. Both of my parents died when I was a child. They were working with Doctors Without Borders in a war-torn region in Africa, and they were caught up in an explosion. They were always so supportive of me, and I felt so lost without them. I was so angry and frustrated that there could be such evil to take away people who were trying to save the lives of others! So I just ran, I would run for hours a day, not caring how far I went out, returning to my empty home early into the morning. I was angry at the world, and I had no way to express myself except just running through the countryside, which eventually turned into where I am today. I guess running for hours on end does some good, ja?” Angela gave a half-hearted smile, being brought down by painful memories of the past.

Fareeha grasped her hand, looking into her eyes.

“Thank you, Angela, and by the sound of it, your parents were extremely brave and exceptional people. And by my guess, so are you,” both blushed at the comment, “Lord knows if my mother didn’t give me any military discipline as a child, I would probably be up in a bar flashing gang signs right now,” they both giggled at the absurdity of the comment, but its message of endearment was not lost on the Swiss. 

“How about this,” Angela said, her gaze looking slightly up to meet Fareeha’s, “we watch each other’s back, and root for each other while we race. We may not have our family here with us, but it will be comforting to know that there is a friendly face in the midst of all the strangers”.

Fareeha felt a pang of that unfamiliar feeling once again, as her face crept up into a smile. She nodded, “Yes, that sounds like a good idea. Although if you and I are neck and neck to the finish line, I may have to stick my foot out in front of you”.

Angela laughed aloud, “Oh, not if I get to you first” she replied with a wicked smile.

They remained sitting there for a short while, reveling in the feeling of someone supporting you, even though they would be against each other the entire time. After all, the Olympics were about bringing nations together for friendly competition, and allowing athletes to mingle and share each others’ stories. 

Angela gave Fareeha a gentle nudge on the shoulder, and when Fareeha gave her attention, the Swiss gestured over to the clock, reading 12:15 p.m. At that, they both decided it was time to part ways, and begin the final stages of preparing to take part in the event. However, before they parted ways one last time before the race, Fareeha nervously asked,

“So, uhh.. Maybe after all this is done and all.. You might want to… go watch the other events with me? itsokayifyoudontwanttoIwasjustcurious”, she added in the last part hastily. 

Angela couldn't help but grin, “Ja, liebe, that sounds like a wonderful idea”.

Fareeha walked away giddy as a schoolgirl. However, now was not the time to think of future arrangements, she needed to focus on the task at hand. She looked around at the competition.

There were many hopping in place, side to side, letting their body loosen up to prevent tears in any muscle groups. Any injury caused during the race would be a cruel punishment to those who had spent years training for such a short window of glory, only to end in crushing disappointment. Fareeha followed suit, making sure her hamstrings and quads were in tip-top condition, she wanted to make sure all of her training did not go to waste. Preparation was key. 

She suddenly heard the announcement, calling for all participants to make their way onto the track and find their starting group. It would go in two waves, so as not to send all competitors off in one large clump. She found herself in the first group, with none other than Angela on the other side of the clump. They found each other in the crowd, nodding to each other in acknowledgement, before Fareeha mouthed Good luck, to which the Swiss wordlessly replied, See you at the finish line. 

She heard a large megaphone overpower the noise of the crowd, calling for all runners to get set,  
and then, all of a sudden, Fareeha heard it.

BANG

The starting gun went off, and so was she. Her strategy often involved getting early distance between herself and the rest of the pack. She was a strong opener, and a bit of a weak finisher, so she wanted to make every bit of energy count in the opening stages of the race. It appeared as if Angela had the same strategy, as she found herself at the tail end of the Swiss, both distancing themselves from the pack as they followed the track around the first bend, before splitting into an opening through the stadium. When she exited the stadium, she was greeted by the waiting sun. She hoped the buildings would cover it as she ran. A few seconds ahead of her, she saw Angela, fighting for an early second place with another runner, both being outpaced by the seemingly sprinting British girl Fareeha had sat next to when she was warming up.

I guess I just associate myself with the best, huh, Fareeha thought to herself. 

The race course took them through the streets of Rio, with many of the city’s occupants behind barriers, cheering on the runners as they passed by. Many of the people brought signs with them, most being motivational messages written in Portuguese, wishing good will upon the athletes. At the first station there were little plastic cups filled with water, Fareeha took one on the run, drank a sip, and gave it to an Olympic staff member that was waiting to collect all cups from the runners as they passed by. This was the first time she had looked back all race, and she found herself relatively alone. Angela was out of sight up ahead, the streets’ turns disguising her true location, and there was only one runner to her rear. She had to work extra hard if she wanted to catch up and come in third place. 

The fast pace she was setting for herself started to take a toll on her heartrate and breathing, both getting a bit too hard and fast for her liking. Throttling back on the gas seemed to do the trick though, and after a few minutes of a slightly less intense run, she was able to get back up to full speed, trying to make up the time she may have lost recouping her stamina. She found herself cursing at the extremely inclined streets she was facing, all the time telling herself that it would quite literally be all downhill once she reached the turning point, as the finish line was back inside the Olympic stadium. 

The downhill portion was the biggest blessing Fareeha could have hoped for. She had spent a bit too much energy trying to run full speed to the top, and she was really starting to feel the exhaustion creep in. Luckily, she was able to let gravity do its job, allowing her to run at her normal pace but exert much less work. She had to make sure she didn’t let her speed get out of control, however, as that could lead to her stumbling and most likely hurting herself in one way or the other. Better to be in control and a bit slower than the opposite. 

The good news was, she seemed to be gaining on the current runner in third. She could make out the blonde midway down the slope, and she appeared to be gaining on her, albeit slowly. They were both approaching the stadium, with the 8 of the 10 kilometers almost done, as the last two would take place running around the track. Angela entered the stadium first, followed by Fareeha, no more than thirty seconds behind. 

I guess she may not be a strong finisher either, Fareeha thought to herself. 

She knew this was when she usually started faltering, so she made a doubled effort to keep her pace consistent and steady. Two laps around and she would be done with the race. Halfway around her first lap, she saw the first competitor behind her enter the building. 

One lap down, she was closing the gap, no more than twenty seconds behind. Halfway around lap two, she was gaining. She could her the first roar of the crowd as what must be the first person to cross the finish line, seconds later she heard another roar, being attributed to the second.

The final stretch, she was so close.

But all of a sudden, she saw Angela tumble to the ground in a spectacular fashion, a scream of intense pain and anger emitted as she finished rolling. It was obvious to Fareeha that it was no minor fall, not certain she would be able to get up to finish her race. She surged forward and felt a great surge of emotion.

She could WIN. She could get a Bronze medal for her homeland, and bring home all the honor and glory with it.

But she immediately reconciled. There was no honor in beating an opponent that was already down, due to circumstances not in their control, especially when they were on track to beat them in the first place. 

She slowed her pace to a sudden stop to stand in front of the broken Swiss, leaning down, and extending a hand.

“I swear that wasn’t actually me, I know I joked about it but still…”

“Fareeha, Was zur Hölle? Go finish the race dummkopf!” Angela shouted, pain and frustration causing her to be rash.

Fareeha was persistent. “Now, now, no need to swear. Remember what you said earlier? About having each others’ backs? I’m not leaving until you finish with me”, Angela couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Fareeha had an opportunity to win an olympic medal for her country, and yet here she was, trying to pick up someone she had known for no more than 2 hours. With a tear in her eyes, Angela clenched the outstretched hand and pulled, trying to upright herself. 

“Sheisse”, she cursed, both legs began to wobble. “I don’t think I can support myself, Fareeha. Please just finish the race without me. I’m sure someone else will come to help.” She pleaded with the Egyptian, Fareeha found it a little adorable.

“Nonsense, it’s literally 30 meters away. It shouldn’t be too far to carry you there”

“C-carry?” Angela stammered, but she was interrupted as she felt her feet swing upwards as Fareeha positioned one arm in the crook of her knees, the other positioned on her lower back. Angela’s arms naturally wrapped around Fareeha’s neck before she could even realize it. Her cheeks were burning red, but she told herself it was because of all the running she had just done. 

Fareeha made her way at a much slower pace towards the finish line. The crowd was roaring with applause and whistles, applauding the excellent show of camaraderie. As she approached the finish line, Angela leaned up to Fareeha’s ear, 

“Please, go through first. You have obviously shown that you deserve the medal more than I”

Fareeha kept walking straight ahead. She was mere steps away from the finish line. She had to make a decision quick. Angela was looking desperately up to Fareeha as she got nearer and nearer, 

“Bitte, Fareeha, you know you deserve this”

Fareeha was a step from the finish line. She looked down to Angela, and smiled.

“Eh, we are in this together”

The crowd roared with a frenzied as the Egyptian carried the Swiss across the finish line, at the same time, as equals. Angela began to cry into the crook of Fareeha’s neck, overwhelmed by the flood of emotions running through her. She felt guilt at first, but it was quickly replaced by the realization that she had been able to fulfill her lifelong ambition. She had only one person to thank for that: the tall Egyptian woman standing at attention above her, her ferry to a realized dream. This is a true Olympian, Angela thought to herself. Not letting pride or ambition cloud her sensitive side. Realizing there is more to the Summer Games than just the seeking of medals, but rather the coming together of many nations to compete in the spirit of cooperation.

Through muffled sniffles, Angela reached up to Fareeha’s ear, trying to get as close as she could so Fareeha would not miss her request over the noise of the crowd, “Fareeha, schatz, you do not know how grateful I am. I guarantee that if you were anyone else, they would pass by me at the hint of being able to win for their country. You truly are the shining example of an Olympian”. 

Fareeha’s heart fluttered at Angela’s whisper, still tingling at the last phrase muttered by the Swiss. She looked down to Angela, replying “You know, I don’t think I should be alone in the spotlight. You were basically begging me to go on without you, and I have a feeling that if the roles were reversed the same thing would have happened, no?”

Angela felt her cheeks reddened as she tried to avoid eye contact. She muttered a small ja, confirming Fareeha’s suspicions. 

Fareeha was feeling a bit more cheeky, “Ah, just as I thought”, she smirked at Angela, “however, since it appears that I was the one who carried you across the line, and not the other way around, how about you thank me by agreeing to take me out to dinner tomorrow night? I’m not sure if the doctors will let you explore around the other events with me today, but if they release you tomorrow?” Fareeha was caught off guard by her sudden boldness, but she was glad she transformed her thoughts into words.

Angela, also caught off guard, took some time to recover from the question. When she came back around from her trance into the stadium lights, she looked into a worrisome Fareeha, her confidence seemingly sucked away by the long pause the Swiss had given her. 

“Ja, Fareeha. I couldn’t think of a better way to show my appreciation”, she gave a smile, before reaching her head up and placing a small, tender kiss on the Egyptian’s cheek. Her cheeks instantly scorching, color turning scarlet. “Although that seems to be a good way for now”.


End file.
